Anaheim Ducks keep Leo Carlsson, matching Flyers' $90 million offer sheet for young center

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The Anaheim Ducks have retained young center Leo Carlsson by matching the Philadelphia Flyers’ $90 million offer sheet, making him the NHL's highest-paid player with a five-year contract.

The Anaheim Ducks have matched the Philadelphia Flyers' offer sheet for center Leo Carlsson, keeping their rising young star at an extraordinary cost. The Ducks announced their decision Thursday on the 21-year-old Carlsson, who is now the NHL's highest-paid player under the five-year, $90 million deal extended by the Flyers one week ago. Carlsson signed the Flyers' offer sheet as a restricted free agent after a year of fruitless negotiations with Anaheim general manager Pat Verbeek, whose typical hardline approach in contract talks with his restricted free agents backfired tremendously this time.